NJSIAA doing 'everything imaginable' to save itself as legislation to dissolve it is introduced

Robert Sciarrino/The Star-LedgerAssemblyman John Burzichelli says he is sending a letter to NJSIAA executive director Steve Timko today asking him to cooperate with the NJSBA’s review of the organization. Timko, center, is shown along with other members of the NJSIAA Executive Committee in a photo from February of this year.

By Jackie Friedman and Matthew Stanmyre

Assemblyman John Burzichelli warned it would come to this.

Burzichelli (D-Gloucester) introduced groundbreaking legislation Thursday to dissolve the state’s governing body for high school athletics and ultimately shift oversight to the New Jersey School Boards Association.

He bolstered his plans to dismantle the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association with backing from leaders in the State Legislature. Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver co-sponsored the legislation, while Senate President Steve Sweeney introduced the companion bill in the Senate.

“We want to consolidate services to a place with better resources, better finances and better business structure,” said Burzichelli, a long-time critic of the NJSIAA. “The core mission doesn’t go away. It goes to a place it can be better served. This merger is in the best interest of the kids.”

Key points of the legislation stated:

Public schools will not pay dues above what they already pay the NJSBA

Non-public schools will pay no more in membership dues than the NJSIAA charged the previous school year, which was $2,150 this year

The Commissioner of Education must approve all meetings minutes before decisions voted upon are to be enacted

The current rules and regulations promulgated by the NJSIAA will continue to govern the member schools

Playoff games will only be held at non-school sites if deemed necessary by the Commissioner of Education, while still leaving open the opportunity to host events at elite venues

An annual report must be prepared detailing the operating and financial activities of the organization and interscholastic sports programs.

“What’s at risk right now is the independence of high school sports,” NJSIAA attorney Michael Herbert said. “We’re doing everything we can possibly do to save the organization.”

Burzichelli said the NJSBA will soon assemble a transition team to determine how it wishes to structure the operation, who the leadership will be and what type of board of representatives it will have for decision making. He believes employment opportunities may be available for current NJSIAA employees — though likely not the directors. He said the legislation would ideally be voted upon and then become effective by September 2011 for the start of next school year.

In a startling twist, Burzichelli said he is sending a letter to NJSIAA executive director Steve Timko today asking him to cooperate with the NJSBA’s review of the organization; Burzichelli intends to keep intact aspects of the NJSIAA such as the core mission, rule-making and playoff structure.

Timko did not return phone messages seeking comment.

“As far as inviting Mr. Timko to cooperate with a transition team, how can we cooperate with
something that’s illegal?” Herbert said. “That’s what it is.”

Under the legislation, the Commissioner of Education could choose to keep oversight in the Department of Education or appoint the NJSBA. Burzichelli said discussions with acting education commissioner Rochelle Hendricks led him to believe the NJSBA will be charged with providing the administration.

The next step in the legislative process is to hold committee hearings for discussion and markup of the bill. Burzichelli plans to schedule hearings in the next two weeks in which the State Commission of Investigation would speak further about its findings of the NJSIAA’s “primitive fiscal and accounting practices” that were released Wednesday. He also hopes to hear the NJSBA’s plan for transition.

MAKING FIXES

The clock is winding down on the NJSIAA as it attempts to muster a defense against the pending legislation. Herbert reiterated the organization will discuss recommendations made in the SCI report during its executive committee meeting Oct. 6 in Robbinsville — and that changes will be implemented swiftly.

He said the NJSIAA is already taking steps to hire an accounts manager and make its reimbursement standards more stringent, among other changes.

“Can you give us one week?” Herbert said, exasperated. “We’re trying to do everything imaginable to save high school sports, and if that means taking measures such as a monitor, obviously that sounds feasible. We’re going to do what we can to present it and come up with some ideas and move ahead. We’re not going to drag our feet in the sand. We understand this is a serious matter.”

Coaches and athletic directors once again came to the defense of the NJSIAA Thursday upon news of Burzichelli’s legislation. Most felt the organization should be given a period of time to make improvements internally.

“Knowing the people involved down there (at the NJSIAA), it can be fixed,” St. Joseph of Montvale football coach and athletic director Tony Karcich said.

Sen. Richard Codey (D-Essex) said he will convene a meeting of Essex County legislators and athletic directors in the coming weeks.

“Athletic directors are the ones that deal with the agency on a day-to-day basis, not us,” Codey said. “Their voices are the ones we need to listen to.”

Nutley High athletic director Joe Piro thinks those legislators would hear outrage over the prospect of a state-run athletic association.

“There is not one positive thing that could come out of this plan. Nothing,” Piro said. “This is the bully on the block flexing his muscles and saying, ‘I’m going to use my political position to seek my vengeance.’ ”
Jackie Friedman: jfriedman@starledger.com